The Sacred 7

Sometimes the most awkward part about weddings is choosing the bridal party. There's the question of "is she going to ask me?" that looms over the friends of the bride. But I must say that was one of the easiest decisions for me. My girls didn't really need to be asked, but for the sake of formality, I did anyways. I don't think any of them were surprised to be asked which in turn reminds me that I have some of the bestest friends in the world. I have very special relationships with each one of them individually and I could not be more happy to have them stand by my side on our wedding day.
Matron of honor: My sister, Yuri. My soul sister. My other third, I should say.
Maid of honor: My little sister, Alex. My baby girl-that's not such a baby anymore.
Bridesmaids: Chung Yee, my best friend of 18 years from high school. There really
aren't words that can describe my friendship with her.
Jennifer, she's like my long lost sister whom I met through an ex! You
never know when and where you'll meet people that will impact
your life.
Stephanie, she's my twin. Quite literally! My girlfriend from church
who shares many of my joys and passions of life. No wonder
she's my twin. She's expecting in October!
Judy: Yet another best friend of 18 years from high school. We've
been through 2 decades of just about everything. She is one of
sweetest people I know and you'll know what I mean when you
meet her.
and last, but not least,
Fannie: Another high school best friend of 18 years. Fannie reminds
me of what friendships are about. She's intentional and takes
care of the people that are close to her and I am so grateful
that I've been a part of it.

I am overwhelmed by the friendships and the sisterhood that I have been given and am the luckiest girl to have them be a part my life.

Our Photographer

We have chosen our photographer! We are very excited to have signed a contract with the amazing Tara Rochelle. My girlfriend, Judy used her for her own wedding and her photos were nothing short of perfect, so it was an easy choice for us. Tara is very easy going and down to earth and that's the one thing we were looking for in a photographer. She truly is AMAZING!

The Reception Site

We wanted that feeling of "this is the place" and that's what we felt when we walked into the Sheraton Delfina of Santa Monica. It's got a modern, simple feel and that's what we were looking for. It's not grand, nor is it very formal, but we think it's just right for us. It's a small boutique hotel so it's a little different from other Sheratons. This is where we will have the people we love most share our big day with us.

Our Church

So we are 13 months out and we have chosen our church! We are going to be married at Trinity Baptist Church of Santa Monica. After meeting with Pat Allison and looking at the church we have decided that this is the place our day will begin...

The Future Wongs

Our dear friends Lu and Alan celebrated our engagement with us tonight. How sweet are they! We headed out to K-Town for some Korean BBQ at a new place called Mu Dong Lu Pao Po Kamidahhhhh. It's so fun to be with people that are in the same boat as you are. Lu and I spent 87% of dinner talking about our future plans for our weddings and there is no one that understands or can appreciate the joy of engagement than another engageeeee. This is one pair that we can let our hair down with. Anything goes when we're together and that's what makes our friendship unique. Tommy and I always love being with these 2. From "the best weddings ever" and to conversations of armpits - we always walk away with a fond/funny memory that will go down in the books. Thanks Lu and Alan for a wonderful night out. We are so happy to have you in our lives.

Mama and Papa Vuong

We had dinner with Tommy's family tonight. YC came along and we had an amazing dinner- Vietnamese style. Mama Vuong is amazing. She can whip things up and everything tastes so good. It's one of those, you're totally stuffed, but you just want the flavor in your mouth, so you continue to eat- kind of meals. The kiddos were there too and we spent the evening putting tattoos all over everyone, playing tag, watching Dancing with the Stars, watching J play his guitar and eating. I am lucky to be marrying into a family such as theirs.

THE CYK

My best friend celebrated with me tonight. After hours of catching up and yummy food I realize there is none like her. We had our Bing Bing and couldn't stop laughing about a bride riding up in a horse drawn carriage. It's definitely so magical like I can't express. Thanks CK! You're the bestest bestest.

Scott and Reiko and Mika-chan!

It's been a get together long overdue. We finally got together with Reiko and Scott and I got to meet the new addition to their family-Mika! We had Sunday brunch at Cookshack in South Pas. and had a great time catching up. Tommy and I will only be so lucky to have a baby like Mika. She is so sweet and has such a happy spirit. She wasn't fussy or whiny. And even when she cried it was such a teeny tiny sound. We both took turns holding her as she observed everything around her. She's so observant and curious about her surroundings. Thank you Scott and Reiko for treating us to brunch and for letting us spend time with the little one. We look forward to our next get together which will be sooner than later!

Family Fun Time

Tommy and I were overwhelmed at family fun time this past Sunday.

*A little background about our Sunday dinners: Every Sunday my family gets together for a "themed" dinner. We pick a region or a main dish and everyone has to choose a dish from that particular region or we have to bring a dish that revolves around the main course. So far our dinner themes have included Chinese, Italian, Cuban, Greek, American and Japanese. It's always exciting to see what people bring.

I usually bring the dessert, but this Sunday they asked me not to.

My grandmother brought a mango cake with a congratulations message on it for me and Tommy and my dad popped open a bottle of Dom Perignon. It was such a special celebration from my family and a wonderful way to celebrate our engagement with them.

Thank you T fam.

Good Friends

Tommy and I have been lucky to find friends like M and R. They must be one of the sweetest couples we know. They took us out to Chez Nous in Toluca Lake to celebrate our engagement. After a bottle of champagne and a bottle of delicious pinot noir, we found ourselves 4 hours later wondering where the time went. I don't think there was a moment of silence between the four of us. That's just the way it goes when we get together. We spent hours talking about marriage, Africa, our travels, buying homes, work and everything in between. Thank you for a wonderful evening out. We are truly blessed by your friendship.

Our Engagement Celebration

Our friends D and W put together a little engagement celebration for us at Honda-ya in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. They reserved the back "tatami" room for our group of about 20. Next to us there was another birthday celebration which made it all the more fun. We were all rowdy together. We sang happy birthday in different languages, made the birthday boy give a speech, and in return they were chanting, "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" We had tons of food and sake and found ourselves describing the proposal over and over for everyone. Sharing about Tommy's tears was possibly a huge mistake, but nonetheless it made for a great story and now something he can't live down. After tons of wah wah photos and chatting amongst friends, we realized that this was such a great way to start our engagement. Thanks to everyone that came out with us. We had such a great time.

March 30, 2008-The Proposal

It was my 31st birthday so I went to SD with my friends.
On our way back on Sunday, Tommy said that he wanted to surprise me with his own birthday getaway. After having lunch with K and E at George's at the Cove, Tommy and I headed to our next destination. Little did I know what was coming. He typed "R" "I" into the navi so I had an idea that it was the Ritz. We pulled into the beautiful Laguna Nigel Ritz Carlton and it was nothing short of breathtaking. We were personally escorted through the hotel by Gina. She gave us a mini tour of the hotel and then told me that I would start my afternoon in the spa. What?? I had no idea. Tommy set up an appointment for me to have a 1 hour massage. I was told to take my time until 5:30. That gave me 2 hours to relax. Rose was my massage therapist. She was super sweet and we spent a good 15 minutes just talking together. As I finished with my massage, there was a bag waiting for me from Tommy. It had my dinner dress and heels, along with makeup inside. As I was leaving, the staff left a birthday present for me at the reception desk. A beautiful candle and body spray. What an amazing treat. Tommy met me in the spa lobby and we headed to 162 for dinner. We had ocean view seats and we got to watch the sunset. As we finished up our dinner, Tommy said that he needed to use the restroom so he headed up to our room. I signed the tab and collected my things from the spa and headed up. I knocked on the room door and Tommy opened it. He spread red rose petals and lit candles all over the room. We were upgraded to an ocean view so we could hear and see the ocean crashing. He invited me outside onto the balcony to enjoy our view. He first started to wish me a happy birthday. Then went on to say how this wasn't all just for my birthday. He began to tell me about the past 2 years, but he couldn't go on because we were both crying. Then he just said, "I want you to marry me." Then he got down on one knee and put the ring on my finger. It was an amazing proposal.